November 27, 2013

I know
that we’re in the Thanksgiving home stretch!But I just had to tell you
about this elegant and impossibly easy appetizer that would make your guests
swoon with delight this holiday season.You may decide to squeeze it in on the already over-packed Thanksgiving
menu for tomorrow or wait until Christmas or New Year’s or a relaxed Saturday
afternoon with friends.It’s up to
you.And if you do choose to whip it up for
the big dinner tomorrow, rest assured those ravenous appetites will be kept in
check before the bird is ready!

As
you can see, it only took me a few postings to come up with anothergreatrecipe that has goat cheese at its core.I recently made these super-tasty Goat
Cheese Stuffed Dates for a tapas themed party for the iconic El Clásico, the
most watched soccer game in the world.I
also made them for a dinner party, a birthday celebration, and I’m making them
again for Thanksgiving.As you can imagine,
everyone was smitten at first bite, gobbled them down in no time, and then demanded
seconds!

Simply
put, these dates are a breeze to throw together and are wonderfully meaty and
chewy, sweet and salty, creamy and fragrant all in one mouthful.You can wrap them in prosciutto (or Serrano
ham if you opt for a Spanish kick) and freely snack on them before the main
courses make it to the table.Pair the
dates with a cold, crisp white wine and they will bewitch you.And a little side note – you may want to bump
up the quantities – the crowd will ask for more!

Last
year, I was in charge of the entire Thanksgiving menu, and although it was only
for three people, it was daunting and uplifting at the same time.This year, I’m back to being a contributor to
the mighty feast by bringing these amazing Goat
Cheese Stuffed Dates, these irresistible Sweet and Spicy Roasted Nuts, and
my favorite Cranberry-Orange Sauce that I’ve made religiously for the past few
years.So, here you have it…Enjoy the recipe and I wish you all a very
Happy Thanksgiving filled with delicious food and delightful company!

Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates with
Prosciutto

Adapted
slightly from Giada at Home by Giada
de Laurentiis

Makes:
16 stuffed dates

Ingredients:

·¼ cup (2 ounces) goat cheese, at room
temperature

·¼ cup (2 ounces) mascarpone cheese, at room
temperature

·¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves (or
dill)

·Salt and freshly ground black pepper

·16 Medjool dates

·8 thin slices prosciutto, halved lengthwise

·16 toothpicks or cocktail picks

Instructions:

In a
small bowl, mix together the cheeses and basil (or dill).Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Using
a paring knife, make a lengthwise incision in each date.Gently open the dates slightly and remove the
pits.(Make sure you don’t cut the dates
in half when making the incision!)

Spoon
about ½ teaspoon of the cheese and basil mixture inside each one.Close the dates around the filling.Wrap a piece of prosciutto around each date
and secure with a toothpick.